


Reservations

by gmariam



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Birthday Presents, Ianto Jones Birthday, M/M, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 16:51:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20312824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam
Summary: Ianto celebrates his twenty-fifth birthday with family, friends, and Jack. Sort of a five-plus-one, but not really.





	Reservations

He saw his mother first, visiting her for tea over the weekend. His birthday was midweek this year and who knew what Torchwood would throw at him on a Tuesday. Last year he'd not even remembered until Lisa had said something; this year he was sort of hoping everyone would forget.

But his mother would never forget his birthday, and deep down, he was glad. It didn't matter that she'd got his hat size wrong; the gloves would be welcome on cold winter mornings. The kettle was nicer than any he'd had, and the tea and biscuits she'd packed with it reminded him of home. They enjoyed dinner, played a game of cards, and watched her favorite show together. Between his schedule and her health, he was happy he could spend time with her.

Rhiannon called the next day for an impromptu family dinner. "You're twenty-five!" she exclaimed. "That's a quarter century, and Mica and David want to see you. It's been weeks, Ianto."

He had no plans, though he'd thought about stopping by the Hub to see if Jack was around. He was still trying to navigate whatever it was they were doing—shagging, dating, and working together—and wasn't sure how to approach their rare time off. Since they worked together, was time off meant to be apart? Or would Jack want to see him, outside of work and Weevils? He wasn't sure and accepted his sister's invitation to Sunday dinner, both looking forward to it and dreading it. When Jack called to see what he was doing that night, he almost considered asking him along, but then decided it was way too soon for that, if ever.

Rhiannon had got him clothes—casual black jeans, a new leather belt, and a t-shirt. "You're always so stiff and formal," she complained as she hugged him. "You're young, you should at least look like it."

"You sound like mum," Ianto grumbled, but she was right, and it was a nice shirt, with the logo of a band he'd liked before he'd left Cardiff. He wondered if they were still around.

"And someday you'll sound like her too," Rhiannon laughed. "David, get your uncle the other box."

Mica ran off first and brought back a box wrapped in at least four different types of child-friendly paper. She bounced up and down as she waited for him to open it, while David pretended to be uninterested, but was clearly watching closely.

It was a Star Wars lunchbox.

Ianto grinned and pulled Mica into a hug. David offered a high five as Mica climbed onto his lap.

"Thank you," he told her, admiring the old-fashioned metal contraption that barely held a healthy meal for a ten-year-old boy, let alone a twenty-five-year-old man.

"You're welcome," she said. "Mum said you lost yours in London, so when we saw it we got you a new one!"

He didn't tell her it had been a James Bond lunchbox he'd left at home that day and hastily packed up for storage later, or that he'd got rid of whole boxes of stuff when he'd been on suspension. He'd lost so much he hadn't cared at the time, though in hindsight he wished he'd had the presence of mind to hold on to more of his belongings. Now, at least, he had a reminder.

"I love it," he said, and squeezed her again. David suggested they watch _Revenge of the Sith_, but Ianto told him it was crap and they had a good argument about it, like they did every time David wanted to watch one of the new movies and Ianto insisted they were nothing compared to the originals. Rhiannon finally rolled her eyes—a family trait, apparently—and stopped them from thumb wrestling to settle it.

"Enough," she said. "It's too intense for Mica, and there's cake and ice cream anyway. Twenty-five-years old! Come on, let's eat and you can tell us what you're doing on Tuesday."

Ianto had no plans for Tuesday. He hadn't said anything to anyone at work and doubted they even knew his birthday was that week. If Jack knew, he hadn't said anything, or asked about going out on Tuesday, and Ianto did not expect him to, not really. So as far as Ianto was concerned, it was a normal day, and if the Rift was quiet, then he'd stop at his local for a few pints to celebrate.

As it turned out, the whole team knew it was his birthday. It started first thing in the morning. Tosh and Gwen walked in together, less than ten minutes after him, carrying five cups of coffee from his favorite café and a gift bag. "Happy birthday!" Gwen exclaimed, setting down the coffee and throwing her arms around Ianto before he could say a word. She squeezed him a little too hard and he tried not to grimace.

"Thank you," he offered. "Though it's really not necessary. Just another day."

"It's your birthday!" she said. "And you're a quarter century old so it's extra special." She laughed, and Ianto rolled his eyes with reluctant fondness. Sometimes Gwen reminded him too much of Rhiannon.

"That's exactly what my sister said at dinner on Sunday," he told her. "I'm not sure whether it's meant to be a good thing or a bad thing."

"Both," laughed Tosh, coming over to give him a more gentle embrace. When she stepped back, she handed him the gift bag. "This is from both of us. Happy birthday."

Ianto thanked her and turned to set it at his station, knowing he'd get a response.

"Open it!" said Gwen, practically bouncing on her toes. "Go on, start the day off right."

He exchanged a smile with Tosh and opened the bag, finding a pound of his favorite—and quite expensive—coffee, along with a bottle of red wine and a sentimental card.

"One for the morning, and one for the evening!" Gwen laughed. "Maybe you could share the wine with someone special." She had a knowing look on her face, but was that because she knew about Jack, or because she wondered if was seeing anyone? He ducked his head as he set it back at his station.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm happy to open it later and share it here."

"Don't you have plans later?" Gwen asked. He still couldn't read her—curious or disappointed— but the alarm went off then and Owen came stomping through the cog door.

"Are we doing this already?" he asked without any greeting. He handed Ianto a six pack of beer. "Here you go, teaboy. More beverages, I see. _Better_ beverages," he added with a knowing look at the bottle of wine.

It was a local brew, one that he and Owen had shared many times. In fact, Ianto was pretty sure they'd been drinking it on Owen's birthday, when they'd got so shit-faced that Owen had ended up crashing on Ianto's couch. It seemed appropriate that Owen had gifted it, and Ianto grinned as he shook the doctor's hand.

"Thanks, Owen. I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah," Owen grumbled. "I was going to stick it in the medical cooler until later, but here you are, starting early, plus I know—"

"I don't like cold beer," Ianto reminded him. "It's better like this."

"I was going to say I know how much you hate the medical cooler, but now I wish I'd chilled it." Owen threw his coat on his chair and his body on the sofa.

"Owen," said Gwen, but didn't seem to know how to finish the rebuke, because she shook her head and pointed toward the take away cups. "Coffee for everyone, so Ianto doesn't have to make it for us today. Where's Jack?" She glanced around with a frown.

"Wasn't here when I got in," Ianto replied, sipping at the coffee. They'd got his order perfect, and it was a brilliant way to start the day. Except for Jack being gone, of course, but he wasn't going to let the others know that, so he shrugged his disappointment away. "Must be out already."

The alarm went off then and Jack appeared with his usual impeccable timing. Or he was actually that lucky. He appeared to be carrying a box of pastries.

"Last minute gift run, Harkness?" Owen called from the sofa. "We've covered coffee, beer, and wine, so it better be good."

Jack grinned and shook his head as he set the box down on the table by the sofa. "I got my gift last week," he said, surprising them all. "I went out for food this morning—everyone's favorite and two for Ianto. Happy birthday!" He took a step toward Ianto, arms coming up, then stopped awkwardly, one hand going to his pockets, the other running through his hair with another grin, this one more sheepish. Ianto wondered what the others thought of Jack's aborted attempt at a hug, but it was probably for the best, lest the others suspect something.

Not that him and Jack were a big secret, but they were. Secret. Or private, rather. Ianto didn't want or need his coworkers gossiping about him and Jack, since he knew perfectly well what they'd all say. Tosh would be concerned for Ianto's emotional well-being, Gwen would be annoyed they'd hooked up again and hide it with concern (even though she was engaged, thank you very much), and Owen would never miss a chance to take the piss and give Ianto a hard time about sleeping with the boss, shagging an immortal, and what did Jack see in him anyway? Which was something Ianto asked himself enough and didn't need Owen pointing out as well.

Ianto set all those thoughts aside and smiled, hoping no one in the room was having a psychic moment and could read his thoughts. "Thank you," he said. "They'll go perfect with the coffee Tosh and Gwen brought in." He walked past Jack to the sofa, resisting the urge to brush against him and sensing the same from Jack. Sitting down next to Owen, he took his favorite pastry from the box, a gooey mess of fruit and sugar. Jack whirled around, back to normal.

"So coffee, wine, and beer?" he teased. "Sounds like you won the trifecta."

"A cabernet sauvignon, coffee beans from Dolci Amaro, and the cheapest beer Owen could find at Tesco. Quite a good haul."

"Hey!" Owen exclaimed. "You know damn well that stuff is not cheap. And if it's not appreciated, then I'll take it back and drink it myself."

Ianto grinned as Gwen sat down in the chair next to him. "I think he's winding you up, Owen. We all know Ianto likes a good pint."

"Cheers," Ianto replied, raising his coffee cup.

"Then who's the wine for?" Owen wondered through a mouthful of banana muffin.

"Me," Ianto replied. "I so like wine. Something nice now and then."

"Didn't Gwen say you had plans to share it later?"

Ianto almost spit out his food, took a drink instead, and shook his head. "No, no plans. Unless a Weevil shows up with a cake."

"I'm sure you could find someone to share it with," Tosh said, reaching into the box for something to eat. "Though I doubt Weevils drink wine."

"Probably not," Ianto murmured. He was avoiding Jack's gaze as much as he could, but couldn't resist glancing up. Jack was standing with his arms crossed, not glaring at him but watching thoughtfully, with a hint of the predator about him, like he was planning something, or at least thinking about planning something. And knowing Jack, it was probably inappropriate. He turned around and picked up the wine bottle from Ianto's station, studying the label.

"I like wine," he said, setting it down with a grin. "And that's a good one, nice choice. Do you want to open my gift?"

"That depends," Ianto said, genuinely nervous. It was doubtful Jack had got him anything soppy or sentimental, something that might give away their sort-of relationship; that didn't seem in character for either one of them. It was more likely that Jack had picked out something embarrassing or even slightly dangerous. "Will it shock me, bite me, or otherwise injure me?"

Jack rolled his eyes as he walked away; apparently, the Jones family trait was spreading. "No, but I looked for that." He stepped into his office, disappeared into the floor to his room, and was back in no time, even more excited than Mica had been when she'd handed him the lunchbox. Ianto hoped it wasn't a lunch box, as that would definitely be embarrassing, but how would Jack know about his love for Star Wars and James Bond and the things he'd left behind in London?

It was two boxes, one large and one small, impeccably wrapped and tied together with a dark red ribbon. Ianto raised an eyebrow, but Owen said something before Ianto could. "Did you wrap that yourself? Because if you can do that, you can do a lot more than we thought."

Tosh giggled and Gwen told Jack to ignore the doctor, that he'd outdone them all. Ianto took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He didn't actually think it was a sex toy, but with Jack, it could be anything, even in a perfectly wrapped box.

He untied the ribbon from the boxes, then pretended to study them, even shook them before looking at Jack curiously.

"The bigger one," he said. "Because then you can—oops, spoilers." He grinned as Ianto took the paper off, not caring about preserving it although the thought of doing it slowly, folding it and setting it aside while they all watched and waited did cross his mind. However, he'd never been good at that sort of thing—he did have his moments of impatience, after all—and wasn't one to reuse the paper, so he ripped it off and tossed it on the floor. He could see Owen nodding approvingly; the doctor must have expected something more neurotic.

It was a shirt box from one of the most upscale stores in town, and inside was a beautiful burgundy button down shirt, with French cuffs and forward point collar. On top was a deep blue tie that had blocks of thin stripes in matching burgundy, gold, and light blue. It was high quality, handsome, and exactly something he'd pick out for himself if he were splurging. Considering Jack didn't wear ties and had bought the same shirt in different colors for years, Ianto was impressed. And he was touched, that Jack had made such an effort to match Ianto's style.

"Thank you," he said as he examined the tie. "It's brilliant."

"Oh, it's gorgeous," Gwen gushed, reaching out to run a hand along the soft silk. "It suits you perfectly, Ianto. I'm impressed, Jack." She said it teasingly, but they were all thinking it. Jack looked smug.

"I might not have wrapped it, but I did pick it out. Thought it would look good when—" He stopped himself again, not seeing the knowing look that Tosh and Gwen shared. "Go ahead and open the other one. I hope you like it as much."

"Maybe if it's a—" Owens started, but Tosh stopped him. Ianto wondered what the doctor might have said.

It was a small black book, a diary or journal, made of leather and with his initials engraved on the front. Which meant Jack knew his middle name. But it also meant that Jack –

"You remembered," Ianto murmured softly. "What I said, that day."

"When?" asked Gwen, ignoring the silence around them as Ianto ran his index finger along the spine, across the initials, and over the pages. Jack remembered.

"It was a while ago," Jack finally answered. Ianto glanced up, saw Jack's worried face, saw the others watching with curiosity. He cleared his throat.

"It was after Lisa died," he started quietly. "I mentioned to Jack how I…well, I kept a diary, or a journal, or whatever you want to call it. I kept one in London, not long after I started. Because I knew how much Yvonne liked her Retcon, and I knew I needed to protect myself from it, somehow. So I wrote things down, in case I ever forgot—or was made to forget," he amended. Owen was shaking his head, but Tosh and Gwen looked shocked.

"She did that?" asked Gwen. "The director of Torchwood One took people's memories?"

"She took mine more than once." Tosh gasped and Jack's face darkened like a cloud. He hadn't told Jack that particular detail about his time in London. "Eventually it didn't really stick, and by then I was her PA and I think she trusted me enough to leave it alone. I tried to talk her out of using it many times, but she was even more bullheaded than another head of Torchwood." He looked pointedly at Jack, who shrugged.

"No apologies here," Jack said. "But Yvonne Hartmann was a real piece of work."

"She cared, in her own way," Ianto replied, trying not to sigh as he remembered the better days. "Just not for you."

"It was mutual." Ianto knew perfectly well the two had hated one another, and it no longer bothered him. When he'd first come to Cardiff, he'd resented Jack even as he'd steadfastly gained his trust and manipulated him. And then Lisa had died, and everything Ianto had come to think and believe about Torchwood, about Lisa and Jack and Yvonne, had come crashing down. After months of rebuilding his life, Ianto realized how different the two leaders were, and how he had been in a much different place in his life in London, allowing him to accept Yvonne when he could never do so now. And while he'd always considered the stories that Torchwood One told about Jack to be exaggerated, he knew Jack so much better now that he also knew they'd all been wrong about him, and that Jack was truly a good man. But this wasn't about Jack and Yvonne, this was about the book Ianto was holding.

"When Lisa died, I got rid of so much stuff. I didn't even think about it, I gave it all away. Old books, clothes, dishes. My favorite lunchbox, which my niece and nephew replaced on Sunday." The girls cooed, and Ianto continued. "The diary, though, was obviously dangerous. Too many secrets. But I couldn't burn it, not even then, so I gave it to Jack."

"And you never told us teaboy's most embarrassing stories from his childhood?" Owen asked, interrupting the mood with a loud comment. Jack, rather than bristling at him, went with it.

"You honestly think I'd share his secrets knowing what he'd do to me? You know he's got good aim, Owen."

"Touché," the doctor muttered. "Probably boring as shit anyway."

"Maybe," Ianto agreed. "I wrote down everything—new cases, new artifacts, Yvonne's grand plans for Great Britain. And I wrote down things about…well, about my life in London. My friends. I had a roommate, and he was—yeah. And about Lisa. But once she died, I didn't want any part of it." He glanced up at Jack. "Did you destroy it?"

He shook his head. "It's safe. But now you have a new one, for whatever you want to write about."

Ianto tapped the cover a few times. "One hundred and one complaints about Owen Harper."

The others laughed, but Owen punched his shoulder. "I could write twice as much about you."

"And then you'd wonder why your coffee was cold and bland every morning," Ianto replied as dryly as he could. There was more laughter.

"Thank you," Ianto said. "All of you. I wasn't expecting anything except some filing interspersed with alien wrangling, and that you all thought of me and took the time to—well, thank you," he finished lamely. It moved him immensely to think that with these four people, whom he considered as close as family, cared about him enough to celebrate his birthday.

There was a flurry of "You're welcome's" from everyone except Owen, who grunted and took another pastry, then walked over to his station, trailing crumbs all the way.

Ianto stood up with his new shirt, tie and diary, and a small envelope fluttered to the ground. He picked it up, saw his name on the front, and recognized Jack's handwriting. He glanced up to find Jack watching him with slightly wide eyes.

"Just a card," Jack practically stammered, apparently nervous as the girls turned to watch. "Must have got tucked in the diary by accident."

"Thanks," he said, surprised at Jack's reaction and already thinking about when and how he could open the envelope later, when the others weren't around. He started to put it back into the book, but Gwen protested.

"Aw, go ahead and open it," she said. "You'll forget about it if you put it away." Tosh seemed to agree, and even Owen had turned his chair toward them to watch. What were they expecting it to be, a massive bonus check? Birthday card porn? He gave Jack a questioning look, which he returned with a slight shrug, not helping at all. If Ianto left the card unopened, the others would probably suspect something and give him a hard time, and if Jack had written anything suggestive, they'd likely pick up on it and still give him a hard time.

Deciding that it was equal parts safe and unsafe to open the envelope in front of the others (and accepting that he didn't particularly want to wait, no matter the risk), Ianto opened the envelope to find an unassuming card inside. But the card had a message, and a promise, and Ianto stared at it, his eyes blurring and his throat tight.

"Well?" asked Gwen. "What does it say?"

Ianto took a moment before looking at her with a smile, though it was a smile meant to hide the sudden nervous beating of his heart.

"Happy birthday," he said. "To the best personal assistant, secretary, housekeeper, driver, zookeeper, and barista the Hub has ever seen."

Jack grinned, though Ianto could see it was forced even if the others didn't. "And don't forget best-dressed now, too!"

Tosh and Gwen exchanged a look, while Owen groaned and went back to whatever he was doing at his station. Ianto tucked the card back into the envelope and into his inner jacket pocket. He glanced at Jack and gave him a small nod with a silent "thank you," and wished more than anything the others would get called out on an alert so he could talk to Jack and thank him privately. Though he didn't know what he'd say, as it was all far and above anything he would have expected.

Jack nodded back. "Happy birthday," he said softly, then headed toward his office. Ianto watched him, still struck by the card and the gifts. He didn't notice Tosh come stand beside him.

"Maybe you'll have someone to share that bottle with after all," she murmured, then left before he could reply. Owen had heard her, though, and made a gagging sound. Gwen slapped his head as she walked by him.

Ianto walked over to his station in a slight daze, and for the next ten minutes he went through some files and emails without quite seeing what he was doing. He wanted to read and reread the card, to see if it was real or if he had misread it, but he didn't want the others to notice him staring at it. More than that, he wanted to see Jack, alone, and thank him and touch him and show him how much it all meant—

"Ianto?" Jack interrupted his increasingly indecent thoughts. "Do you have the file from our run-in with that Jagaroth yesterday? UNIT is asking about it."

"I already—" He stopped, realizing it was unlikely that UNIT was asking about the Jagaroth, and that Jack was instead giving him the perfect reason to stop and see him alone. "I already closed the file, but I can pull it up and bring it to you in five."

"Thanks," Jack said, and went back into his office. Ianto hadn't quite finished the report, but printed what he had and placed it in a file folder before he stood to take it to Jack. He could feel the others watching, as if they knew something was going on. Well, he wasn't going to give them a show, but he really wanted to see Jack. Privately. Why didn't that damn window have blinds, or at least a decent curtain?

Jack was sitting at his desk, fiddling with a pen when Ianto entered. He handed Jack the folder and stood there for a moment while he took it and flipped through it. Maybe he did need it for UNIT, and hadn't wanted to see Ianto. But then he set it down, and the look on his face told Ianto that no, Jack didn't care about the file at all. He wanted a private moment as well. Ianto inclined his head toward the others back in the main part of the hub, and Jack pouted as he leaned back. He spoke quietly.

"So is that a yes?" he asked with a small yet genuine smile. It was not the first time he had asked Ianto the same question over the weeks since he had returned, and Ianto realized that it was Jack's way of making sure, of reassuring himself that Ianto was interested, and still interested, in their—for lack of a better word—fling. Which he was and couldn't imagine a time when he wouldn't be, but it was nice to know that Jack had his insecurities as well, when he was always so confident and cocky.

Ianto nodded as he walked past the desk to the cabinet against the wall. He thought about opening it and pretending to look for something, but leaned against the railing instead, at least out of direct sight through the window. He smiled, hoping that Jack was reading him right.

"I don't know, I have a nice bottle of cabernet sauvignon Gwen is expecting me to share with someone tonight."

Jack grinned and stood up, hands in his pockets as he moved closer. "Have anyone in mind?"

"Thought Tosh might like it, but she prefers white wine," Ianto replied.

"I like red," Jack said, moving closer again and leaning against the tall cabinet. Ianto glanced over Jack's shoulder toward the window, hoping the others couldn't see in at that angle but doubting it. And then he didn't care.

"Then it's a yes if you'd like to come back to mine after and open it," Ianto said. Jack licked his lips as he took another step forward, and Ianto couldn't help but do the same.

"Definitely a yes," Jack murmured, putting his arms around Ianto's waist and pressing up against him. "Thanks for the invitation."

"Thank you for the gifts," Ianto said, his voice serious. "They were amazing, especially the reservation."

"I wanted to ask you earlier," Jack said, "but I also wanted it to be a surprise. And not a surprise you opened in front of the others, though you covered it well."

"Thanks." Ianto laughed through his nose. "You know, I didn't think anyone would remember, wasn't sure if I wanted anyone to remember."

"Why not? It's your birthday, and that's always a reason to celebrate."

"But Du Monde? Jack, it's the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Cardiff, probably the most expensive restaurant in all of Wales, and there's a three-month waiting list." Which was all true, and one reason why Ianto was still so stunned. It was too much—for him, for Jack, for _them._

"So what?" Jack pulled back with a frown. "Don't you want to go?"

"Of course I do!" Ianto exclaimed, suddenly worried he might lose the chance. "I've never been anywhere like it. Only it's…well, it's more, isn't it? More than we've done. Together."

"Oh, we've done quite a lot _together,_ Mr. Jones."

"Not like that," Ianto said, finding it hard to say what he was thinking. "Although that's more along the lines of what I was expecting, if I was expecting anything, which I wasn't because I—"

"You what?" Jack had that mulish look on his face, daring him to say it. "You didn't think I'd remember? Or that I'd care?"

"I thought I'd stop at the pub on my way home and have a pint," Ianto admitted. "I didn't think I'd end up at the poshest restaurant in town."

Jack kissed him, a short peck, and pulled him closer. "You deserve it."

"Jack, it's too much. We—"

He kissed Ianto again, this time much longer, as if trying to silence both his voice and his thoughts. Maybe it was a good idea. If Ianto kept talking, he would almost certainly say something stupid, something that would hurt Jack's feelings, and all because of his own self-doubt. Jack had given him a wonderful gift and got them into the best restaurant in town for an amazing dinner. Just because it wasn't something they'd done before didn't mean they couldn't now. Jack had been back for over two months and they'd certainly gone out to dinner before.

But it was Ianto's birthday, and it was an upscale, _romantic,_ restaurant. Didn't that mean something? Or was it simply Jack being generous, not thinking of what it might mean to Ianto? Only Ianto didn't know what it meant to him either, to be going on that kind of date with Jack on his birthday. Yet maybe that's all it was, an exceptionally nice dinner on his birthday. Maybe he didn't have to read anything more into it. Maybe he didn't need to overthink everything.

_I came back for you and I will stay for you, and every day is another day I am glad that I did, and grateful that you said yes. Happy birthday, Ianto. How about dinner at Du Monde tonight to celebrate? You can wear your new tie, and I can take it off later. ~J_

"Thank you," Ianto murmured against Jack's lips. Jack grinned and they kissed again, Ianto throwing caution and worry to the wind, determined to enjoy the moment and not think about what it was or wasn't. He was so determined that he completely forgot they were in the Hub, in Jack's office, without any doors or window coverings. So of course it was Owen who walked in and saw them.

"Bloody hell!" the doctor exclaimed, stopping inside the door and holding up a piece of paper in front of his eyes. "I thought Tosh was being fanciful. I didn't think I'd walk in and see that!"

Jack turned slowly, grin already in place, while Ianto looked down and considered sneaking out the back. Then he decided that he had nothing to be ashamed of, not when Jack was taking him to Du Monde for his birthday, and he looked up and met Owen's incredulous, and slightly exasperated, expression.

"Sorry, Owen," he said with a very unapologetic shrug. "Just saying thank you."

"Don't ever thank me like that," Owen muttered, shaking his head. "Can't believe you two are at it again."

"What can I say, Owen?" Jack replied with his usual wink. "We are both irresistible."

"You're both something, that's for sure. And you're both going to be busy today, as we've got a big alert coming in from the docks. Looks like lots of birthday fun, teaboy."

"All right, get your gear. We'll be right out." Jack watched him leave before turning back to Ianto. "We'll have to continue this later."

Ianto kissed him, long and hard and fully intending to take Jack's breath away and leave him wanting more. When Ianto pulled away, the slightly dazed look in Jack's eyes told him it had worked. "We will definitely continue this later, at my place, with that bottle of wine."

"It's a date," Jack said. "But work first!"

"Work first," Ianto echoed, but he didn't move. He'd got himself more aroused than he'd thought, and didn't particularly want to leave Jack's office. Jack grinned and jerked his head toward the door.

"Come on, birthday boy. I'll buy you a greasy pub lunch before our big dinner if you can put one foot in front of the other."

Ianto laughed and finally moved toward Jack's desk. "I'll take it. We'll have to invite the others, though."

"That's fine, we can sing and watch you get flustered." He grabbed his coat and smirked. "But you're all mine tonight."

Ianto nodded as he followed Jack from the office. The others were getting ready, and each one of them glanced up with knowing smiles as he grabbed his gear and followed them out. Even Tosh bumped him with her elbow and grinned.

But Ianto found it didn't bother him, not then. It was his birthday, and it had already been one of the best days he'd had in years. And it wasn't over, because he would be spending the night celebrating with Jack. Ianto couldn't imagine anything better for his twenty-fifth birthday, and hoped there would be many more.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm still around, though it's been months since I posted anything. Thanks to thatlastdanceofchances for the prompt of a five plus one, however loose this plays with the trope. And however loose it plays with things like titles, canon, the Hub layout, blinds, Michelin-starred restaurants in Cardiff, birthday gifts, diaries, lunchboxes, Retcon, and Ianto's family. It was just nice to write again and I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading!


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